Dj StarChild Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 OK I am working on a custom hood for a 10gal reef. I thought after doing some research that I would buy the PC quad retrofit kit from hellolights.com. My hood is 20in and the qud retrofit was only 18.5. However I have a new problem....I have to install fans and they are 2 inches a piece, giving me only 14-15 inches of bulb space. What kind of bulb would you recommend to fit this and give me the most light, and where can I find it? I can't seem to find a size similar to this anywhere!!!! I really want PC's and i want if all possible 36x2 watts...Thanks a bunch in advance!!! Mark Link to comment
jmt Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 Go with the 96w PQ PC Retro. Just mount the fans soemwhere else. Link to comment
FAC_WNY Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 150w MH reflector (PFO or Spiderlight)...you'd have plenty of space.. (and a lot more light intensity) Cheers, Fred Link to comment
Dj StarChild Posted July 29, 2004 Author Share Posted July 29, 2004 Where do you get that MH fred? Link to comment
Dj StarChild Posted July 29, 2004 Author Share Posted July 29, 2004 I also have never used MH....Are they difficult to use and how much are these puppies...I don't want to spend $200 on lights for a 10 gal tank... Link to comment
FAC_WNY Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...&threadid=35351 That'll start you off..and since its for a pendant..you probably wouldn't have to worry about ANY fans. If you did need one, you could just toss a regular fan near the tank and run it until it cools off. Or you could mount the pendant inside of your hood. MH aren't any more "difficult" to use than other lights..they do throw off a bit more heat than PC's..but being smaller in size relative to similar wattages of PC's, they'll give you plenty of room for fans. And they're a HELL of a lot more intense lighting. And they don't HAVE to be that much more expensive than PC's. (PS--I'm running a 400w halide on my new 15 gal...) Cheers, Fred Link to comment
Dj StarChild Posted July 29, 2004 Author Share Posted July 29, 2004 is there some sort of thread that is similar but that is in a hood? I already have the hood I just made it, and the fans are installed. I just want to screw the light in and go... Link to comment
uglybuckling Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 Hey there, Not a lighting guru by any means, but pretty handy with DIY stuff.... 1) why do you need fans for a 96w PC fixture? They don't get *that* hot. Just leave the back of the enclosure open (since you won't see it anyway) or (if you have some crazy fish like an eel that's forever trying to escape) put screen over the back. 2) If you need fans, you can use computer fans, which are definitely not 2" thick. You could fit the 96W kit plus two computer fans (25mm variety) I think. Since 25mm = 1" (roughly), you would have 18.5 plus 2" total for fans = 20.5". The thickness of the wood used for the DIY canopy (I'm assuming you're making it from wood...perhaps this is not a valid assumption...) should be more than enough to give you that extra 1/2". Remember, the fans are going to be exposed to the outside.....so if you were using 1/2" thick wood, that would more than do it. 3) That fixture is no more than eight inches wide, if memory serves. Why not put the fans in the back of the hood rather than at the ends of the bulb? Seems like you'd have more space there. --B Link to comment
uglybuckling Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 Hey again.... Ah. The hood is already made. In that case, your PC options are limited, since even the 36W bulbs are 17.5" long (from AHsupply.com). You could do it with a bunch of 8" long 13W bulbs, but it would take quite a few over a 10 to give you a significant amount of light. Your metal halide options are also going to be limited by two things: 1) the distance from the top of the water in the tank to the top of your hood, and 2) the power of your fans to cool things off. (1) is a problem because it is recommended that halides not be set too close to the water (for reasons of frying everything in your tank, mostly). The usual recommendation is 6 inches. Hence (2) is a problem. You might consider moving the fans to the back, rather than the sides. I realize this would involve remaking the sides, and that sucks...but at this point it sounds to me like one of your better options. --B Link to comment
Dj StarChild Posted July 29, 2004 Author Share Posted July 29, 2004 This could be done, I saved the hoesl I cut out in case I had to do this. I could even leave the holes open and put a screen on them, allowing more air to escape from the hood. WHen it says the lights for the power quad is 18.5 does that include the endcaps? Or is this just the length of the bulbs? The inside dimensions of my hood is like 20 x 10 so If the power quad is less than 9 inches it could work. My fans are 1in wide...What do you think? Link to comment
uglybuckling Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 http://www.reefgeek.com/products/categorie...ing/103815.html --B Link to comment
uglybuckling Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 And by the way, that's a TERRIBLE price. You can get it at Drs. Foster and Smith for like...$40 or $50. Link to comment
offsprg01 Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 ime go with the 96watt power quad. you'll be able to keep most corals in there. if you ever waht to keep a anenome or a clam. it's best if you upgrade and add a 70 watt or 150watt hqi mh bulb then. you can find alot of thank on this site that use 2x65 pc's made for 20 longs with one or two 70 or 150 watt mh retro fitted in. this also allows you to spread the cost of an awsome lighting system over the course of you reefkeeping experience. instread of shelling out ungodly sums of money at once. hth Link to comment
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